Put the short ribs in a heavy stainless-steel pot with a tight lid.

Pour in 5 cups filtered water. Add the homemade za’atar and sea salt, and stir briefly, just until all the dried herbs are wet.

Add the radishes and carrots around the meat, unless roasting them separately. Set the whole or halved turnips on top.

Cover and bring to a slow simmer over medium-low heat. Lower the heat so small bubbles move around the edges without a hard boil.

Simmer 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the meat has shrunk back from the bone and separates with almost no resistance.

Lift the tender turnips onto a wooden cutting board and cut them into bite-size cubes.

For the optional garnish, heat the fat in a thick-bottomed stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet. Brown a portion of the turnip cubes with the pinch of salt, then set them aside.

Stir the remaining turnip cubes back into the pot.

Ladle into bowls. Top with the crisp turnips, fresh thyme, and a restrained sprinkle of ground sumac if desired.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Assemble the pot exactly as for stovetop in a covered stainless-steel or enameled cast-iron pot.

Bake covered for 30 minutes, then lower the oven to 325°F.

Cook about 2 hours more, until the meat is tender and pulling easily from the bone. Finish as directed above.

Assemble the pot in a slow cooker with a ceramic insert, using the full 5 cups water.

Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 12 hours, until the meat is very tender.

Lift out the turnips once tender, usually around 6 hours, while the stew finishes. Finish as directed above.

Assemble in a pressure cooker with a stainless-steel insert using 4 to 5 cups water without crossing the fill line. Cook on Stew for 35 minutes, allow 25 minutes natural release, then release the remainder and finish as directed above.

Keep the radishes and carrots out of the pot. Toss them with 2 tablespoons tallow, lard, or ghee and roast at 400°F for 35 to 45 minutes, turning once. At 350°F, allow up to 1 hour. Fold them into the finished stew.